New research has unveiled an unexpected connection between the duration of mobile phone usage for calls and an increased risk of high blood pressure. The study, conducted with data from over 200,000 adults, indicates that individuals who engage in phone conversations for 30 minutes or more per week have a 12% higher risk of hypertension compared to those who use their phones less.
A recent study published in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health reveals that spending over 30 minutes per week on mobile phone conversations can lead to a 12% higher risk of developing high blood pressure, in contrast to spending less than 30 minutes.
Professor Xianhui Qin from Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, who authored the study, emphasized the significance of the number of minutes spent talking on a mobile phone for heart health. More minutes correspond to a greater risk, whereas factors such as years of use or utilizing hands-free setups do not influence the likelihood of developing high blood pressure. Further studies are necessary to validate these findings.
Currently, nearly three-quarters of the global population aged 10 and above own a mobile phone, while approximately 1.3 billion adults aged 30 to 79 worldwide suffer from high blood pressure. Hypertension serves as a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and premature death on a global scale. Mobile phones emit low levels of radiofrequency energy, which has been associated with temporary rises in blood pressure. Inconsistencies in prior studies on mobile phone use and blood pressure may be attributed to their inclusion of calls, texts, gaming, and other factors.
This study specifically examines the correlation between making and receiving phone calls and the onset of hypertension. Utilizing data from the UK Biobank, the study includes a total of 212,046 adults aged 37 to 73 without hypertension. A self-reported touchscreen questionnaire collected information on mobile phone use for calls, including years of use, hours per week, and the use of hands-free devices/speakerphones. Participants who made or received mobile phone calls at least once a week were classified as mobile phone users.
The researchers analyzed the relationship between mobile phone usage and the development of new-onset hypertension, adjusting for various factors such as age, sex, body mass index, race, deprivation, family history of hypertension, education, smoking status, blood pressure, blood lipids, inflammation, blood glucose, kidney function, and the use of medications to lower cholesterol or blood glucose levels.
The participants had an average age of 54 years, with 62% being women, and 88% being mobile phone users. Over a median follow-up period of 12 years, 13,984 (7%) participants developed hypertension. Mobile phone users had a 7% higher risk of hypertension compared to non-users. Among those who spent 30 minutes or more per week on phone calls, there was a 12% greater likelihood of developing high blood pressure compared to participants who spent less than 30 minutes. These results were consistent for both women and men.
Further examination of the findings revealed that compared to participants who spent less than 5 minutes per week on mobile phone calls, weekly usage times of 30-59 minutes, 1-3 hours, 4-6 hours, and over 6 hours were associated with raised risks of high blood pressure by 8%, 13%, 16%, and 25% respectively. Among mobile phone users, years of use and the use of hands-free devices/speakerphones did not significantly impact the development of hypertension.
The researchers also investigated the relationship between usage time (less than 30 minutes vs. 30 minutes or more) and the onset of hypertension according to participants’ low, intermediate, or high genetic risk of developing hypertension. Genetic risk was determined using data from the UK Biobank. The analysis revealed that individuals with a high genetic risk who spent at least 30 minutes a week talking on a mobile phone had a 33% higher likelihood of hypertension compared to those with a low genetic risk who spent less than 30 minutes a week on phone calls.
Professor Qin emphasized that their findings suggest talking on a mobile phone may not affect the risk of developing high blood pressure, as long as the weekly call time remains below half an hour. Nevertheless, further research is required to replicate these results, but until then, it is advisable to limit mobile phone calls to a minimum to safeguard heart health.
Reference: “Mobile phone calls, genetic susceptibility, and new-onset hypertension: results from 212 046 UK Biobank participants” by Ziliang Ye, Yanjun Zhang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Sisi Yang, Mengyi Liu, Qimeng Wu, Chun Zhou, Panpan He, Xiaoqin Gan and Xianhui Qin, 4 May 2023, European Heart Journal – Digital Health.
DOI: 10.1093/ehjdh/ztad024
The study received support from the National Key Research and Development Program and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about mobile phone usage
What does the research reveal about mobile phone usage and high blood pressure?
The research reveals that spending over 30 minutes per week on mobile phone calls is associated with a 12% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to using the phone less.
What factors were considered in the study to determine the relationship between mobile phone usage and hypertension?
The study considered factors such as age, sex, body mass index, race, deprivation, family history of hypertension, education, smoking status, blood pressure, blood lipids, inflammation, blood glucose, kidney function, and the use of medications to lower cholesterol or blood glucose levels.
Did the study find a difference in risk between men and women?
The study found that the increased risk of high blood pressure associated with mobile phone usage was similar for both women and men.
How does genetic risk factor into the relationship between mobile phone usage and hypertension?
The analysis showed that individuals with a high genetic risk of developing hypertension had a 33% higher likelihood of hypertension if they spent at least 30 minutes per week talking on a mobile phone, compared to those with a low genetic risk.
Should people limit their mobile phone calls to protect their heart health?
The study suggests that as long as the weekly call time remains below half an hour, talking on a mobile phone may not significantly affect the risk of developing high blood pressure. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings. In the meantime, it may be prudent to limit mobile phone calls to a minimum to preserve heart health.
More about mobile phone usage
- European Heart Journal – Digital Health
- National Key Research and Development Program
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
5 comments
omg, so this resrch says talkin on phone 30min/week raises risk of high bp by 12%?! crazy! need 2 b careful w/ phone habits!
Phone calls causin high blood presure? Nah, can’t be true! Who needs 2 worry bout this stuff? I luv my phone too much, so imma ignore it. #YOLO
Thx 4 sharin! Always glued to my phone, but now I’m worried about my heart. Gotta limit those calls to keep my bp in check!
Woah, didn’t expect mobile phone calls to have such an impact on our heart health. This study is an eye-opener. Gotta watch those minutes spent on phone convos!
Interesting study! They considered a lot of factors to determine the link between mobile phone use and hypertension. Can’t wait for more research to back this up!